


there's no irony because, i say what i mean.

by paleromantic



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Andrew deserves to be soft, Andrew talks abt his past, Angst, Cuddling, Happy birthday to my favourite boys, Implied Past Abuse, Kissing, M/M, Masterchef, Mention of Drake spear, Neil loves Andrew so much, This is probably bad, but I wrote it in like 20 minutes so cut me some slack, it's good, mentions of abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-04
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2019-08-17 09:03:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16513337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paleromantic/pseuds/paleromantic
Summary: Andrew has a good birthday, because he deserves it.





	there's no irony because, i say what i mean.

**Author's Note:**

> I can't sleep so here we go lads, happy birthday to my baby boy Andrew Minyard, I'm so proud of him

When the alarm went off for Neil's run, he knew that today wasn't going to be a good day.   
  
It wasn't just because Andrew had retreated to the other end of the bed, barely keeping any of the blankets to himself. It wasn't even because he looked like he hadn't slept at all. It was all of that, but mostly it was because today was November 4th, and that's just how the day was.   
  
"Morning." Neil sighed and then untangled himself from the blankets. "Can I put these on you? You're freezing, Drew."   
  
Andrew rubbed his eyes and then groaned softly. "If you insist."   
  
Neil stared at him, until he huffed under his breath. "Yes, Josten."  
  
Neil carefully tucked the blankets around his boyfriend, careful not to touch him. "You could have told me to sleep on the couch, you know."  
  
Andrew shook his head, and Neil sighed gently, before sitting back up. "You should try and get in an hour or two, babe, while I'm gone."   
  
Andrew grumbled his response, and Neil smiled as he pulled on socks, reaching for his running clothes. "Yeah, yeah, you too."  
  
He went to get up, and go to get his keys, but a hand on his arm made him pause. He turned back, eyebrows raised.   
  
"It's a yes." Andrew's voice was rough and tired, and Neil chuckled as he leaned down to kiss him. Things might not have been as bad as he thought, after all.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
The shower turning off was what woke Andrew, surprisingly. He could hardly even remember falling asleep, although he knew that it had been after Neil had left for his run. He reached out for his phone, clicking to make the screen light up. He had gotten just under two hours, which was probably a record, as birthdays went. He swiped the screen, and then ignored all of the messages he had received, bar one.  
  
_happy birthday._  
  
It was a routine they had slipped into, him and his brother. They hardly acknowledged the day, hardly acknowledged anything at all, but they made sure to text at least, to make sure both of them had made it.  
  
Andrew wondered when he had started caring about that.  
  
He typed out a response and sent it, before finally sitting up and pushing the blankets away. They smelled of the new vanilla shampoo that Neil had bought, and Andrew paused before bringing the fabric to his nose, inhaling gently. It helped.  
  
He heard a clatter coming from the kitchen, and he pulled on socks before padding gently into the other room. The faint smell of burning hung in the air, mostly masked by the smell of baking, and he wrinkled his nose at it before finally finding the source.   
  
"What's all this, Josten?"   
  
Neil turned to look at him, a stray curl falling on his face. He had made waffles by the looks of it, albeit with many casualties. There was coffee too, and ice cream. Andrew narrowed his eyes.   
  
"Oh this?" Neil grinned. "I ran 10 miles in under an hour, I thought we should celebrate."  
  
Neil had developed his own little ritual, sneaking birthday celebrations in under the guise of other things. Andrew wasn't fooled, but it brought those warm feelings that he had long since learned to associate with Neil back regardless.   
  
He picked up a waffle and took a bite. They were good.   
  
"Did you sleep while I was out?" Neil poured them both cups of coffee, leaving his own black while poisoning Andrew's with sugar. "I tried not to be too loud coming back in."   
  
Andrew methodically relaxed his jaw, taking the cup before speaking. "I got an hour or two, I only woke up fifteen minutes ago.  
  
"Oh, good." Neil seemed relieved at that, and Andrew huffed, taking a sip of the coffee.   
  
"What do you want to do today?" He ate his own waffle, eating it with sliced strawberries and whipped cream rather than chocolate and ice cream like Andrew. Some people just had no taste, as far as Andrew was concerned.   
  
He shrugged. He hadn't exactly expected to get out of bed, so everything from now on was a surprise. Neil took it in stride as always, smiling up at him. "We could finish that Masterchef boxset you were watching?"   
  
Andrew hummed non-commitally, which was as much of a commitment as Neil was going to get. Neil quickly moved their things to the tv room, putting them on the table and getting blankets for them. Andrew set up the DVD player, since Neil didn't know how it worked, and then they settled down on the couch together, not touching but still within arms reach. For the first time that week, Andrew felt himself relax as they watched people make fools of themselves in front of Gordon Ramsay, enough to let himself lean slightly into Neil's space.  
  
That comfort was probably what prompted Andrew to speak, against his better judgement.  
  
"I never had a birthday party, before Cass."  
  
He heard Neil's breathing stop beside him, but he continued. "Drake was always home for my birthday then, Cass made sure of it."   
  
Neil made a small frustrated noise beside him, and had it been any other situation Andrew might have laughed. As it was, he just fidgeted with the blanket.   
  
"Tilda didn't live long enough to get to my birthday, and no one cared in juvie. Nicky tried, once, but Aaron left and I locked myself in my room."   
  
Neil chewed on his lip, and lifted his hand, letting it hover over Andrew's knee until he nodded. Andrew took a deep breath, hating the shake in it.   
  
"Wymack bought me a bottle of Jack most years, Bee gave me books."  
  
Neil nodded, and then took a breath of his own. "If you want me to just completely ignore it, Drew-"  
  
"No." Andrew shook his head, and then drank some more coffee. "Shut up, Josten."  
  
Neil closed his mouth, and Andrew continued.   
  
"I won't be able to have sex on my birthday, maybe not ever. Probably no birthday parties either, or normal birthday shit."  
  
Neil nodded, showing that he was listening. Good.  
  
"But," Andrew picked at a stray thread on the blanket. "This is good."   
  
Neil's cheeks went pink, and he smiled. "It is?"  
  
Andrew shoved his face away. "It's not a big deal, Josten."  
  
It was, though. Bee would have been proud of him. Neil just kissed his palm, a quick peck of a kiss, before pulling back.  
  
"My head on your shoulder, yes or no?"  
  
Andrew said yes, and Neil curled up into his side properly again. He felt the knot in his chest loosen, and Neil played the show again.   
  
After a while, when they were both sleepy and warm, Neil turned to kiss his jaw.  
  
"Happy birthday, Andrew."   
  
Andrew thought about it, and then squeezed his boyfriend's hip gently. "Yeah, I guess it is."   
  
  
  



End file.
